Pipettes are provided with disposable tip cones or tips, which are fixed to the end of a pipette's suction channel and into which the liquid to be pipetted is drawn. The pursuit of utmost cleanness is often a reason to use individually packed tips.
A traditional solution for individual packages has been a vacuum-molded channel type bag, in which the tip lies on its side. The bag has a heat-sealed cover. The bags are packed in bulk containers, which are then sterilized by irradiation. The user opens the bag at the tip attachment end and holds the tip through the bag while fixing the tip to a pipette.
There are also trays available for tips. In this case, the tip has a widened top end and the tray has holes for suspending the tips thereby. Picking up tips from a tray is easy, especially for a multichannel pipette. In the manufacture of sterile tray packages, the entire tray, along with its tips, is placed inside a bag which is then sterilized by irradiation.